This time of the year is planting season for sweet potatoes. “We are planting as hard as we can and it is going well as the weather is very cooperative,” says Kelley Precythe with Southern Produce. The region had a good amount of rainfall, but was not hindered by delayed planting. As a result, planting is right on track. “We are one of the largest sweet potato growers in the nation and spread out all over Eastern North Carolina,” Precythe added.
New electronic sizer
Southern Produce continues to grow its sweet potato acreage by about five percent per year. In order to keep up with increased volume, the company built a new building and added a state-of-the-art packing line to its existing 8-lane electronic sizer. “The new packing line helps us in getting the volume out, in particular during peak times such as Thanksgiving and the months of January and February. During this time frame, we typically run three shifts to keep up with volumes,” commented Precythe.
Prices expected to go up
Although the domestic market is the main focus for Southern Produce, the company also exports about 25 percent of its product to Europe. “Export prices are not good at all as more and more people are starting to export sweet potatoes.” Competition has increased, but with supplies from last season becoming tight, Precythe expects export prices to go up very soon. For the same reason, he foresees domestic prices to increase as well.
Southern Produce cures all its sweet potatoes, which allows for the 2015 crop to be packed until mid-October. Harvest of the new crop will start around Labor Day.
For more information:
Kelley Precythe
Southern Produce
Tel: (+1) 910-267-0011